The pillars of Hercules : $b or, A narrative of travels in Spain and Morocco in 1848; vol. 1Urquhart, David
History
The pillars of Hercules : $b or, A narrative of travels in Spain and Morocco in 1848; vol. 1
Urquhart, David
Morocco -- Description and travel; Spain -- Description and travel
But beyond the zone of white, there is another zone of black, or of
mixed black and white. A portion of the Tuarisks, who occupy the vast
tract of Africa between the equator and the habitable portions upon the
coast, wear the black sulam with black cowl,[95] a black turban rolled
round, not the head only, but the face, the neck, and body, so as to
leave exposed alone their black, small, sparkling eyes.
The mantilla is generally considered a relic of Mussulman usages, but
the women in Morocco do not now wear the veil. There, men and women
have one and the same dress: they wear it in the same manner over the
head, the only difference being, that the women keep it closer drawn.
The first clothing must have been the single garment, such as we see it
in Africa still. Noble as it is simple, it conforms itself to every use
in the adaptation, and displays every grace in the adjustment of its
folds. It was subsequently divided and cut up into distinct parts or
coverings; and dress became a set of integuments for casing the limbs,
rather than for clothing the body. The veil cannot, therefore, be known
where the original vesture remains in use.
The haïk, as worn by the Jewesses, is the saya manta. It is of enormous
dimensions; from one and a half to two yards wide, and from six to
eight long.[96] It comes four times round the body, one of the turns
being measured by the outstretched arms to form the hood. The Jewesses
double two yards and a half, one part longer than the other, so as to
serve, when wrapped round the waist, for a petticoat; folds to give
play to the limbs are added at one side, and secured by a large pin;
a turn is then taken with the whole haïk round the waist, and the
remainder is brought from behind over the head and shoulders. They of
course wore it so in Spain.[97]
For the source of peculiarities in Spain it is natural that we should
look to Morocco; not so for the origin of a costume apparently as
different in form as remote in situation--the Highland garb; yet
that it does come from the same stock is indubitable. It is no
accidental coincidence here and there: the whole build and purpose are
identical--every variation can be traced and accounted for. There is
nothing that militates against this conclusion, which there is so much
directly and collaterally to establish.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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